Welcome to Wyoming Football: Josiah Petaia
LARAMIE -- Wyoming has welcomed nearly 50 new faces this offseason.
Transfer portal era, am I right?
Jay Sawvel knew a rebuild on defense was in order after losing both starting linebackers and safeties, along with leaders like Jordan Bertagnole and DeVonne Harris. The departures of Wrook Brown, Sabastian Harsh and Keany Parks only magnified things.
The second-year head coach got busy, inking a dozen transfers on that side of the ball on February's traditional signing day and adding three more since the annual spring game.
On offense, the damage was limited.
Yes, running back Harrison Waylee is now at Virginia. Young wideout Justin Stevenson is a Utah Ute now, too. But if you ask Sawvel, he kept the players he wanted on offense, beginning with quarterback Kaden Anderson.
Three of the Cowboys' top linemen -- Jack Walsh, Caden Barnett and Wes King -- are also back. So is tight end John Michael Gyllenborg, wide receivers Chris Durr Jr. and Jaylen Sargent, along with leading rusher Sam Scott.
So, without further ado, let's spent the summer meeting the new players that litter this 2025 roster:
NAME | Josiah Petaia
YEAR | Sophomore
HT/WT | 6' 3", 296
HOMETOWN | Long Beach, Calif.
POSITION | Offensive tackle
JERSEY NUMBER | 77
PREVIOUS SCHOOL | Long Beach City College
YEARS OF ELIGIBILITY | Three
NOTABLE | Josiah Petaia didn't play football in high school. The same can be said for middle school, too. Instead, he was slated in at middle hitter on the volleyball team. After a "grayshirt" year during his first season at Long Beach City College (He delayed his enrollment to learn the game of football) he quickly got in the swing of things, starting all 11 games at the tackle spot last fall and earning First Team All-Conference honors in the process. He received interest from Hawaii and Cal Poly before eventually landing at Wyoming.
QUOTABLE | "I chose Wyoming because I believed it would be a good fit for me academically, environmentally and, during my visit, I felt the program had a lot to offer me ... During the whole process after the season I wanted to wait because I was fairly new to it. I wanted to go over it with my family. I would say I got a feel for the whole atmosphere and the culture of Wyoming, which led me to make my decision," -- Josiah Petaia on why he decided to make Laramie his new home
WELCOME TO WYOMING FOOTBALL SERIES:
* BJ Inmon
MORE UW FOOTBALL NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:
* Why did tight end John Michael Gyllenborg stay at Wyoming?
* Wyoming's Jaylen Sargent Looking to Leave a Legacy in Laramie
* 'He's going to be special': Bricen Brantley turning heads
* Wyoming Cowboys Football: A Mother's Day Tribute
* Former North Texas running back Damashja Harris inks with Pokes
* Cowboys land edge rusher from FAU in portal
* Cowboys go back to the well to sign latest defensive end
* Wyoming receives commitment from 6'6" senior wideout
* Tuck's Take: Wyoming won today's Brown and Gold Spring Game
* Who is No. 44?: 'He's a kid that's going to show up'
* Wyoming loses starting cornerback to transfer portal
* Wyoming's Dante Drake has been a menace in the trenches
* Cowboys plan to add another QB after Batiste departure
* Wyoming's rookie corner is turning heads this spring
* Double or nothing: Pokes' makeshift front five falters late
* Wyoming looking to add to roster with spring portal looming
University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players
Gallery Credit: 7220Sports.com
- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players